Project Credits
This year we had the opportunity to take some time off to see a relatively rare Total Solar Eclipse that taversed the entire continental United States. Heather actually invited Kurt out for Ice cream, at the Mayfair Creamery, in Athens, TN.... on August 21. He figured it out. Road Trip! Athens sits almost exactly on the path of totality, and we figured that the more inland location away from I-95 and the massive east coast migration was a better deal. We went two nights early, visited Ashville, NC, then took the next night a bit closer in Cleaveland, TN, just about 45 min away from our viewing location.
Great American Eclispe at “Diamond Ring” phase, Athens TN, August 21, 2017, Photograph by Kurt Griffith
Peak Totality
Crescent Phase
Sunspots, and the ISS?
Kurt's DIY Solar Filter Rig
You can click on any image to view bigger. Course that's cooler on desktop/laptop than mobile... your mileage will probably vary - typically with your screen size.
To prepare for the trip, Kurt procured solar goggles, and some solar film and built a DIY solar filrter for the relatively inexpensive 1000mm manual telephoto lens he picked up for the Canon Rebel T5. The rest of the rig was best guess and jury rigged. While he was able to get a number of good shots, he was extremely frustrated with the limitations of a standard photo tripod and now lusts after better gear. Higher end telescopes have equatorial mounts and some even have motorized mounts to track celestial objects and compensate for the Earth’s rotatoion. A similar precison can be reached using a geared tripod head. He’d like to have a nice telescope with a camera mount, too; but all this cool stuff is kind of “holy cats!” expensive, and he‘s still a regular workin‘ Art Guy.
But he has some time to think about it and prepare, another Eclipse is coming in April 2024.
“Magnificent”
Digital Photography, Typography, Web and Card Design by Kurt Griffith
“Great American” Total Eclipse of 2017, Athens, TN, August 21, 2017.
Copyright ©2017 KG/FRS
Printed Card printed by the Morgan Messenger in Berkeley Springs, WV.
Fantastic Realities Studio
Design • Graphics • Illustration • Print • Web
161 Grove Heights Road, Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
304 500-2142 • 845 623-0940
www.fantastic-realities.com • kurtg@fantastic-realities.com